The Apache Tiger
by Scorn Of The Moon
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would happen when a more outspoken boy met Victorique first? I have, and this is the result. M for language and possible lemons later. -Apologies for crappy summary


Yo, it's Scorn of the Moon, just starting up, and with a sadly small fandom as well. I hope you enjoy, though. Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I own Gosick or anything related to it. I do own Shi. "Talking." 'Thinking.'

Chapter 1: The Library Tower

Shi Marse sighed as he walked through the corridors of the Saint Marguerite Academy; it'd been a long day for him, as he and the other foreign exchange student Kazuya Kujo had been stared at and avoided all day for the myths surrounding them, well, just Kujo. People just thought Shi was terrifying and often called him 'The Apache Tiger', referring to his slitted pupils, enlarged canines and his fierce personality, but he was alright with that, being used to it back home in America, even if the name was more affectionate there. As Shi was walking, his book bag weighing his shoulder down, he heard two of the louder students talk about the giant library tower near the Clock tower of the school. He was at once curious and put his belongings in his dorm hurriedly and sprinted towards the library tower. Shi, unlike most people at the academy, loved to read, large books or small books he didn't really care as long as he had something to read, unknowingly being like the one other reader at the academy. As he walked into the library he took in the large painted ceiling of the building and the many books that adorned the walls on seemingly infinite numbers of shelves. Shi was nearly giggling in excitement as he silently took off up the stairs looking for the mythology section. Shi arrived at the section in minutes, thanks to his heavy training. He literally dove at one of the shelves, accidentally hitting his head in doing so. "Ow…" Shi rubbed his sore head and glared at the offending ladder _'Not one of my smarter moves' _he thought. Looking up the steps of the moving device he saw a book with a Gray Wolf printed on the front, sparking his interest tenfold; he grabbed the book and flipped to the first page titled 'Gray Wolf', it spoke of an amazing gray wolf that could speak human languages. Shi was utterly absorbed in the book. Or at least he was until a long golden strand of hair fell onto his nose. Disregarding the hair, Shi looked skyward, seeing a flash of golden light at the top of the library. He picked the hair off of his nose, put the book down and started jumping up the stairs silently, his pony-tail of long dark hair following him.

At the top of the library; facing away from him was a small girl, surrounded by a fortress of books, reading a large book on physical science. Shi snuck behind the girl and took one of the books from the rear wall of the fortress. Shi examined the book, deducing it to be about ducks. He sat down with the sound of cloth on tile and opened the book, it making a cracking sound indicating its old age. The small girl's eyes flickered towards him and back to her book. Shi continued reading about ducks until he somehow got bored of reading a story on the feathery quackers and spoke up. "Hey." He said, breaking the silence with a voice that sounded like a yell to the inhabitants of the top floor. The girl grimaced but didn't turn her head. Shi tried again. "Hey!" He said louder. The girl puffed her cheeks and flushed red with anger and turned around to glare at him, while examining his odd tanned skin.

"What?" She barked with a sharp edge to her voice. If Shi was taken aback by her tone he didn't show it, he just responded with a calm stare and a raised brow.

"What's your name?" He asked with a curious glint in his cat-like eyes. She glared at him with her deep green eyes, swirling with anger. She huffed and turned back to her book. Shi frowned thoughtfully and suddenly pointed a finger straight in the air. He army crawled over to the small girl. Like a tiger, he tensed his muscles and prepared to pounce. And pounce he did; he dug his slim fingers into the spaces between her ribs and wiggled them frantically making the girl start rolling in laughter. They rolled back and forth on the floor, trying to get the best of one another, when she suddenly spoke, making Shi pause. "You must be the fragment to fill up my boredom." She said breathlessly. Shi paused, and looked back at her curiously.

"I'm a fragment?" He asked with a tilt to his head. "What does that mean?" She looked at him emotionlessly after she regained her composure. "You will be here to entertain me." She spoke curtly, and turned around. Shi thought this over for a second and then he grinned, exposing his large canines. He thought it sounded like fun. "It's a deal!" Shi shouted happily, startling the girl. "But first, you have to tell me your name." Shi grinned as the girl turned around to face him, her hair swinging over her back and her dress ruffling slightly. The girl spoke exasperatedly to Shi. "Victorique de Blois." She sighed. "I suppose I should ask your name?" She questioned him with a raised brow, as if to challenge him. Shi was never one to deny a challenge though, and spoke with mock pride in his voice.

"Shi Marse, The Apache Tiger" He motioned to his large canines and slitted pupils, drawing a curious stare from Victorique, like a scientist studying a new species. He suddenly found himself on his back, Victorique straddling his chest, examining him like an animal.

"What are you doing!?" He hissed at her, flushing embarrassedly at the close contact. She ignored him and put her fingers in his mouth and prying it open, looking at his canines. She stared at him like he was an idiot, "I'm examining the newly discovered Apache Tiger. What does it look like I'm doing?" She said mockingly. Shi glared at her, narrowing his eyes. "It looks like you're invading my personal space!" He lifted her by her armpits and set her pouting form down in front of him, breathing deeply he asked her with an eyebrow raised. "How would you like if I invaded your personal space?" Victorique raised an eyebrow challengingly. Shi smirked and dove at her, straddling her stomach and leaning in close to her face.

"How do you like this?" Victorique flushed red and struggled to get out of his gentle, but unbreakable grasp. "Let me go!" She demanded weakly, Shi leaned in so they were nose to nose and whispered conspiratorially in her face. "Only if you tell me… your favorite candy." He grinned cheekily and waited for her answer, as she had seized up and flushed a brilliant shade of red. "M-m-macarons" She whispered back shyly. "Hm, never heard of those." he tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I can get them though." Victorique raised a brow questioningly, having gained back her confidence. She smirked at his attitude and asked, "Why don't you leave now?" Shi sat up, crossed his legs and pulled her into his lap, ignoring her protests. "Wait for it…" he hissed into her ear.

Ten seconds later an Asian boy with dark brown hair came huffing and puffing up the stairs. He panted and wheezed for a few seconds before looking up. Victorique was sitting on Shi's lap reading a book while Shi read a book on mythology; both were unmoving, seemingly inanimate objects. Shi was actually surprised Victorique didn't object to his plan. 'I'm not being murdered, so that's a good start' He thought happily as Victorique made a minor adjustment, sliding her back into his chest.

"Hello, Reaper that comes in the springtime." Victorique spoke calmly, still reading. Shi grinned on the side the boy couldn't see and asked "He's late isn't he?" Victorique just nestled herself further into his chest and said "Yes, he is. Why are you late Reaper?" Kujo looked extremely confused, the two people he thought were dolls spoke to each other, and to him.

"Ummm, what?" Kujo asked confusedly. He had no idea who the girl sitting on The Apache Tiger's lap was, but it seemed as if they were close, and the girl was starting to scare him. He thought they looked natural together as well, but he shrugged it off. Victorique sighed and glared at the boy, "You're late."

"Late? I'm late for what?" He asked curiously, making Victorique flush in anger and yell at him. "Baka! You will return at noon! Get out!" Kujo quickly did so with his tail between his legs, running down the stairs at a seemingly impossible pace. Victorique calmed herself down and turned around to see Shi staring down the long staircases watching Kujo run like the devil himself was on his heels. "He was going to be the fragment to fill up my boredom." She spoke mournfully. Shi grinned at her, "Good thing I got her first, huh?" She nodded and walked up to him slowly, drawing a confused stare from Shi. She reeled an arm back and threw it into his chest, stunning Shi momentarily. "What was that for!?" He stared at Victorique who was holding her hand in pain.

"That was for making me sit in your lap." She glared at his grinning face. Shi knew he'd regret what he said next, but in the end he thought. '_It'll be worth it.'_

"You mean you didn't like it?" Shi mock pouted at her, causing her to flush. From anger or embarrassment he didn't know, all he knew was a book hitting him in the face, and then everything went dark.

A good hour and a fair number of small-handed slaps later, Shi regain consciousness. He groaned as he sat up, though the groan was quickly stopped by a final slap from Victorique. He attempted to glare at her small form but eventually gave into the smile he was holding in. "Good morning to you too, sunshine!" Shi said sarcastically, earning him a glare from her. "Hey! I got knocked out by-"Shi looked at the book that read:_ News headings: 1670-1922 _"a book! I apologize if I'm not in the best of moods!" Shi grinned apologetically at the downcast look on Victorique's face. He rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly "Sorry, but it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world to be knocked out by a book you know?" He asked her while putting his hands on her shoulders, tilting her chin to look up at him. Victorique flushed from the close contact, and Shi smiled at her blush. "What time would you like me to return at?" He asked, earning himself a questioning glance from her.

"What makes you think I want you to come back?" She spun on her heel and huffed, while Shi's grin grew bigger at every word. He walked up behind her and whispered in her ear "Because I am the fragment that will fill up your boredom." She spun around to slap him for invading her space, until she saw him leaning over the railing in a swan dive. He dropped like a stone and Victorique gasped fearfully and ran to the railing, but the fear quickly grew into irritation and confusion as she saw a small figure run out of the door of the library tower with cat-like grace. Victorique spent the night researching the limits of the human body.

The next morning, Shi was climbing the steps of the staircase right before the Eleven o' clock bell, right after breakfast, carrying a large bag of macarons, and actual food; he was finally going to get a reaction out of Victorique. He walked up the last step and froze; Victorique was rolling around on the ground, and making odd noises, messing up her hair, oddly irritating Shi. He was glad he brought a brush because this was going to take a while because he wanted to get her out of the tower and explore things.

"Victorique, can you sit down with your back to me?" He asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. She stared at him oddly before sitting up and turning around slowly, hearing a rustle of bags as she did so. In the next moment she felt bristles running through her hair, making her sigh in pleasure from the feeling of the brush going through her hair. Shi slowly pulled it along, with some fingers helping tame Victorique's silky blonde hair, the material caressing his fingers when he ran them through her hair. Victorique was in heaven; no one ever did this for her and it was a strangely pleasant feeling to have someone fussing over her like Shi was tirelessly doing. Victorique let out mews of pleasure but Shi wisely didn't tease. He was preoccupied, meticulously brushing Victorique's hair and the Fairy in question was preoccupied with enjoying Shi's treatment of her, to notice that Kujo was huffing and puffing up the last steps of the tower, several minutes past noon. Kujo panted, leaning on the railing of the steps, while Victorique and Shi turned around to look at him.

"You're late." The small blonde girl glared at Kujo, making Kujo nervous. Shi hid a smile and looked at Victorique, noticing something was off. "Aha!" He whispered to himself more than anybody, and flicked the twisted necklace back into its correct position, Victorique slapping his hand with large eyes. Shi just stared at her confusedly "What?" He asked "I was just putting the necklace where it was supposed to be." She glared at him, but accepted his answer and turned back to Kujo. "Are you a fortune teller?" He asked childishly, Victorique blinked a few times "Why?" Kujo looked at Victorique oddly.

"Because it's like you knew I would come." She scoffed at him "Of course I knew, my wellspring of wisdom told me so."

"Wellspring of wisdom?" Kujo and Shi asked simultaneously, Shi not looking up from brushing Victorique's hair.

"Since this spring, a black-haired student has been hanging around. Seeing that unfamiliar ill-omened figure must have made people recall the academy's legend of the Reaper That Comes in the Spring." Victorique told the story with a bit of smugness to her voice.

"Ill-omened figure!?" Kujo asked offended, making Shi's grin grow slightly at his tone.

"What is your name, Reaper?" Victorique asked emotionlessly "Kujo… Kazuya." He said hesitantly under Victorique's emotionless stare. Shi on the other hand went back to brushing Victorique's hair, picking her up and setting her in his lap, brushing away nonchalantly. Victorique turned slightly staring at Shi for a moment, then back at Kujo. "So, Kujo, being a deathly-serious, strait-laced, bright student, you must have come here to investigate the origin of the story." Kujo tilted his head down slightly.

"You're pretty good, but I'm not completely satisfied…" Kujo paused and stared at Victorique for a moment, before Victorique shut her eyes and leaned back into Shi, as he'd finally stopped brushing her hair, much to her displeasure. "Did I say for you to stop?" She asked imperiously, Shi shrinking under her gaze. "No… I'll continue." He said as he picked up the brush and started brushing again. Kujo stared at the pair, their interactions confusing him. _Chchk, _all eyes went to the elevator shaft. The dial above it was moving quickly clockwise. Shi just went back to work, while Kujo stared intently at the elevator that had just arrived. The double gates clashed apart, revealing a blonde man with the oddest hair they'd ever seen. "I've never seen such a creative hairstyle before!" Kujo gasped at the man's horn-like hair. Shi paused in his brushing and stared at the man blankly. "Grevil." Said the small blonde in Shi's lap, interrupting anyone's thoughts. "You know this fool?" Shi whispered into Victorique's ear, loud enough for Grevil to overhear him. Grevil ignored the statement, and walked over to the trio. "Ah what beautiful weather we're having today." Grevil said, striking a dramatic pose.

"And we also have a boy who looks like a black-furred baby squirrel, and anot-" Grevil paused, looking at Shi brushing Victorique's hair, her sitting comfortably in his lap. "And another boy that's looks a baby tiger!" He finished, getting a confused look from Kujo. "Do you not see his enlarged canines? Or his slitted eyes?" Shi growled at the man like a feral cat.

"And what are you supposed to be? Some kind of unicorn?" He asked venomously, drawing a small giggling fit from Victorique. Grevil narrowed his eyes at the daring boy, but shrugged it off. "That's not why I'm here," He said seriously, "at a mansion in a certain village, an old fortune-teller by the name of Roxane, was murdered." Victorique's eyes narrowed in confusion, and Kujo gasped, shocked at what had happened. "Where's that coming from?" The baby squirrel asked curiously.

Grevil continued his mystery, "The fortune-teller lived in her mansion with an Indian manservant, and an Arabian maid. Her granddaughter came for a visit that very same night." Victorique shifted in Shi's lap and asked "Why were the manservant Indian and the maid Arabian?" Grevil rubbed his chin, and answered her. "The fortune-teller had a penchant for exotic servants and could speak Arabian and Hindi at a conversational level." Grevil made an _Aha!_ noise and leaned in close to Kujo, startling him and drawing a smirk from Shi, who was solving the crime in his head. "Oh, it seems the maid only speaks Arabic." Grevil spoke dramatically to Kujo.

"Is this fool a detective?" Shi asked Victorique. Victorique nodded and said, "This is Inspector Grevil de Blois. He is the owner of the oddest hair in Sauville." Shi let out a huff of laughter and Grevil frowned. "Just before the murder, the fortune-teller was in her bedroom relaxing. The manservant was in the garden just below her window, returning the loose hares to their breeding pen.

"Hares?" Victorique asked in a monotone voice. Grevil struck an explaining pose, "The fortune-teller raised many hares. Apparently she would let hunting dogs gnaw them to death from time to time." Grevil stopped and stood bolt upright. "But let's get back to the topic, you innocent baby squirrel, you!" Kujo looked decently offended at the new-found title. Shi's face tightened. "Why don't you just ask Victorique?" He asked Grevil with a raised brow. Grevil's face darkened, but he ignored the question and continued.

"That night, gunfire rang out, startling everyone, who subsequently gathered outside the fortune-tellers room. Her door was locked. The maid called out something, but there was no answer. The manservant planned to break the door down, but the granddaughter wouldn't let him. 'If my grandmother is dead, this mansion becomes mine. So don't destroy anything.' was the reason she gave, however the maid didn't understand a word she said, so she grabbed a pistol for self-defense from the adjacent room, and shot the lock on the door. And on the other side of the opened door was the fortune-teller shot through her left eye. The bedroom window was locked from the inside and a weapon was nowhere to be found." Grevil finished his story, tracing his hair. "So tell me, tiger cub! How do you think it happened?" Shi sighed, bored.

"It's always the maid." He said, earning a confirming nod from Victorique. "It was the maid. I'll let Victorique explain." Shi handed the explanation off to Victorique.

"The fragments of chaos are all lined up. I'll reconstruct them for you here." Grevil made an affirming noise and raised his head. "It really is a beautiful day!" Shi tapped Victorique's shoulder. "Fragments of chaos? What do you mean?" He asked curiously. Victorique smirked triumphantly and explained. "I take fragments from this world and reconstruct them, using the Wellspring of Wisdom within me." Shi, even though he understood very little of that, nodded like he did. Grevil was off wandering about in front of them, still talking about the weather. "Stand still and listen to Victorique, you horn-haired fool." Shi was quite annoyed with Grevil's attitude towards Victorique. Grevil froze and his face contorted in anger. "Now listen to me tiger cub!" Grevil began, but was quickly silenced by a glare from slitted pupils. Victorique nodded her thanks to Shi and began her reconstruction of chaos. "The fortune-teller was the only one who could understand Arabic." Grevil and Kujo shared shocked looks. "The maid knocked on the door and yelled in Arabic. There was no answer, so she grabbed the pistol from the next room, then shot the door lock, correct?" Grevil nodded grudgingly, slowly connecting the dots within his own mind. "What did the maid yell before that? Perhaps, 'Milady, someone is after your life. You heard the gunshot before, didn't you? Move away from the window and come closer to the door.'" Kujo and Grevil gasped, seeing how the fragments aligned. They shared a shocked look before Victorique continued. "In other words, the maid knew the fortune-teller was still alive. She called out to the fortune-teller in Arabic, tricking her, telling her it was safe in front of the door, and then she shot the lock… and the fortune teller in tandem." She continued quietly, leaning into Shi's chest. "Most likely, the reason the fortune-teller was shot through the left eye, was because she'd been peeking through the keyhole." Victorique concluded.

"Hold it! Then where and when was the first gunshot, tiger cub?" Grevil addressed Shi, much to his displeasure. "My name isn't tiger cub. It's Shi Marse." He said, irritated. "And why don't you ask Victorique?" Victorique gave a small smile to Shi, and spoke to Grevil. "I'm sure the first shot came from the room next door. The purpose was to frighten the fortune-teller and bring the populous of the mansion together. If you investigate, I'm sure you'll find a fresh bullet hole in the room." Grevil's face darkened.  
"I see." He said, turning around, "It's time for me to return to the police station. This walk has put my spirits in a higher place." Victorique grinned as Grevil entered the elevator and asked, "What about the criminal's motive?" Grevil made a confused sound as the elevator gates started to close. "And she's no doubt hiding what she shot with the first bullet."

"What?!" Grevil pounded against the elevator as it went down, still wanting answers. Shi yawned and lied on his back, "Finally, he's gone." Victorique fell over as he lied down, nodding happily. "That was boring…" She said as she opened her mouth, letting out a long yawn. Kujo turned away from the elevator and addressed Victorique. "Who are you? The inspector seems like he relies on you, but he seems uneasy about something." Kujo crossed his arms and stared at Victorique. Victorique finished her yawn and spoke tiredly to Kujo. "If you want to know about me… dance." Kujo stepped back, offended she would ask something so humiliating of him. "Why dance?" Victorique stared impatiently at him. "You're serious..." He said, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Shi took this moment to pipe up. "Since when has she not been serious?" Kujo stared at the pair, before sighing and beginning an odd oriental dance, humming and clapping. Shi had formed a devious thought, and lugged himself and Victorique into a standing position. "He shouldn't be the only one to dance! How about you and me dance, Victorique?" He laughed as he grabbed Victorique's hand and waist, spinning them around to a beat only Shi could hear, seemingly an (1)upbeat-jazzy tune. Victorique was horribly embarrassed, but let Shi lead her through the dance as she giggled and spun under his guidance. Kujo stopped his Bon Festival dance, watching them flow through the steps of the spinning embrace they were in. Shi grinned his fanged grin, and dipped Victorique for the last step, both of them flushed and panting heavily. Applause was heard as they turned around, Kujo clapping and smiling at them. "Well done! I've never seen a dance like that! What's it from?" He asked excitedly, Shi bowing down before answering him. "No idea, I made it up as I went along." Victorique looked up at him, shocked.

"What do you mean you made it up?" She asked dubiously. Shi stared at her blankly.

"I made it up as I went along. Don't ask me how I made it." Kujo shook his head amusedly. Shi picked up Victorique in the bridal style "Kujo! See you at lunch!" Shi called out before jumping over the railing, carrying a screaming Victorique. Kujo ran over to the side, looking down in horror, to see Shi walking out with Victorique still in his arms.

"Eeeehhhh?" He exclaimed, mumbling choice words about having to walk down the stairs himself.

As they left the library tower, Victorique slapped Shi's chest, "At least warn me before you jump over the side of a ten story drop!" She hissed at him, making him laugh.

"I'll do that, Victorique." As they passed the maze, Shi asked with a tilted head "What's inside the maze?" Victorique looked down embarrassedly and mumbled, "My house." just loud enough for him to hear. "Cool!" Shi exclaimed, "Can I live on your porch like a cat?" The Apache Tiger stared at Victorique with total seriousness. Victorique smiled softly and played along, schooling her face into a mask of superiority. "Of course you can. But you'll have to be tied of on a leash." Shi snickered and continued on the path to the academy lunchroom. Shi kicked the doors open, walking in with Victorique in his arms, as was currently hiding her embarrassment in his chest. Ignoring the intense stares, he walked over to an empty table and sat Victorique down, sitting next to her. The bubbly housemistress came over to give them something to eat, asking if they were friends of Kujo's. They nodded blankly at the loud and excited woman, waiting for Kujo. It wasn't hard for them to hear the whispers, but it was hard for Shi not to hurt the people talking about Victorique as if she was a freak. Gritting his teeth together, he tore into his food like it was his prey. Victorique looked over at him concernedly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Shi slowly stopped violently tearing apart his steak, and slowed down, silently thanking her, meanwhile, Kujo was moaning pitifully about what a bad person Victorique was for making him dance. As he opened the door to the lunch room and sat down next to Shi and Victorique, glaring weakly at the two, who were doing something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Shi pulled the band in his hair, deftly wrapping it around Victorique's golden flowing hair.

"There! You now have a ponytail." Shi gestured to the long, thin stream of hair sprouting from the back of Victorique's small head. He handed her bonnet to her, as it would look odd to have a bonnet and a ponytail. "Do you like it?" Shi asked like an excited child. Victorique smiled at him and nodded, coaxing one of Shi's genuine smiles out of him. "What about your hair?" She asked, gesturing to his long, straight hair. Shi shrugged and made an uninterested noise and continued eating; or he was planning to, before he saw the newspaper under Sofie's arm. He angrily snatched it from the red-head, ignoring the offended noise she made.

"Another great achievement for Inspector de Blois!?" Shi snarled at the paper in his hands, slightly tearing it in his tight grip. Shi growled again, "Victorique, go to your house. I'll be right back." Victorique gave him an odd look that turned into one of horror, as Shi pulled one of three small axes from his belt and bolted from the building in the direction of town. Kujo shared a panicked glance with Victorique, and they chased him out of the building, Victorique actually not tripping for once.

Shi was moving as fast as his legs could carry, jumping over carriages, people, you name it; all for Grevil stealing Victorique's credit. Shi snarled, his slit-like pupils narrowing, as he fingered the Tomahawk in his hand. He kicked open the door and leaned on the secretary's desk.

"Where, might I ask is Grevil de Blois?" Shi's voice darkened considerably, and the secretary pointed a shaky hand at the staircase coming down from the higher levels. Shi nodded his thanks, gripping the metal warhawk, sprinting up the stairs. The secretary didn't much like Grevil, but the murderous look in the boy's eyes made her feel sympathy for him. Victorique and Kujo burst in the door, "Did you see a boy with long hair, carrying a small axe?" Victorique was panicking, her friend was about to commit a murder for her. No matter how touching, it was her brother and she had to save him.

Shi was using his enhanced senses to find Grevil. Smelling for the distinct odor of hair-gel, he took off for the third floor, skipping most of the staircases he jumped up. Shi saw a flash of conical blonde hair, and pounced on the man, holding a Tomahawk to his throat. Shi pulled back his lips in a feral grin when he saw it was Grevil. "So you got a kiss and a yacht. How much of the crime did you really solve? Oh, that's right, none of it! Victorique did everything while you took the credit! Did you even think of telling the papers that she helped? Even a little bit?" Shi spoke with the venom of a rattlesnake in his voice, making Grevil quiver as he slowly shook his head 'no'. Shi grit his teeth and dug the Tomahawk into Grevil's throat.

"You sicken me. You're the reason the world's gone bad. I'm going to kill you right now. Say your prayers, Grevil de Blois." Grevil shut his eyes, praying this wouldn't be the end, and apparently his prayers were answered, as he heard a grunt and the sound of metal scraping across wood. He opened his eyes tentatively, seeing Kujo glare at him while Victorique struggled to contain Shi.  
"Shi! Stop this! It's not you! You wouldn't kill a man for being an idiot would you?" Grevil's ego deflated at the comment, but he wisely kept silent, seeing his sister restrain the Apache Tiger was quite a sight, as it would be impossible if Shi wasn't doing this for her.

"Shi!" Victorique spoke in her emotion-filled voice, startling him out of his fury-filled drive. Shi stared at Victorique's green eyes, rimmed with tears, before promptly passing out.

"..I! Shi! Wake up!" Shi groaned as light hit his eyes. Victorique glared at his nonchalant attitude. She leaned up as if to give him a hug, before flicking his forehead. Shi winced and held his forehead. "Owww, I know I took it a bit far but that hurt!" he pouted. Victorique flicked him again.

"Kujo, you and I are going on a yacht, as an apology from Grevil, and I need help packing. You're going to help." She spoke monotonously, getting Shi's attention. Shi smiled and said "Sure, why not. I haven't been on a boat since I came here." He stood up and bowed to Victorique. "Shall we milady?" He asked, still bowing.

"We shall." Victorique said in her monotonous voice, eliciting a smirk out of Shi. "Good! Now hang on." Victorique's eyes widened before they were flying out the broken window, headed back to the academy. Passing a candy stop, Shi dug his heels into the ground and went inside. The air smelled of pure sugar. Victorique was in heaven.

"So Victorique, what do you want?" He turned around to stare at her drooling form… before sighing and ordering one of everything. "Victorique, Vict-whaa?" The bag he was waving in her face suddenly wasn't there anymore. He turned around, looked up, and then looked at Victorique devouring the candy. A drop of sweat slid from his hairline to his forehead. He lugged Victorique up as if she was a sack of potatoes, and started walking back to the academy.

"Victorique, do you ever eat real food?" Shi asked as he was walking. Victorique paused and then said, "No." before continuing to eat the candy. Shi sighed exasperatedly. He needed to put some real food into the girl. And he would do so. "Victorique. Go pack what you think you need, I'll go make food for the trip." He set Victorique down at the entrance of the maze, and walked away, the small blonde girl walking into the maze, eating her candy.

Shi was headed off towards the boys' dorm rooms, ultimately avoided by everyone, but he didn't care, for he was on a mission; to feed Victorique a hamburger. He grabbed a package of White castle burger*, and walked down to the kitchen with a lunchbox in hand.

After grilling the small burgers and putting them in buns, he put them in a lunch box and walked back to Victorique's small house. Opting to jump over the maze, he made it to the front porch in record time. Shi knocked on the door and set the lunchbox down, waiting for Victorique to open the door. "I'm right here." An irritated voice called to him from behind him, standing in front of a mountain of baggage.

"Wow…" Shi was awestruck at the fact Victorique could manage to move the luggage. Shi rubbed his thumb and hummed. "And what's in these?" He asked, with an amused tone to his voice. Victorique glared at him, but answered nonetheless. "Necessities." Shi stared at her incredulously, before looking through the bags and discarding them.

"Chair, no, snacks, yes, one change of clothes… no lamp." He glared at the girl for wanting a lamp before thinning down the herd of suitcases, and Victorique finally burst. "If I say it's necessary then it's necessary!" Shi stared at her calmly, one eyebrow raising slowly.

"You pack only what you can carry. But for today, I'll be nice and carry your _one _case, while I carry my case and the snacks we brought." Victorique huffed, but nodded. "Good, let's go!" Shi headed out of the maze, Victorique following in his wake. Victorique looked at Shi questioningly, "Aren't those heavy?" Shi let out a bark of laughter.

"Oh sure, now you worry about it being heavy or not, and to ease your curiosity. No, it's not very heavy." Victorique stared at him, in shock. "How aren't those heavy?" Shi thought for a second before answering, "I've been carrying you around everywhere, so I guess my arms have gotten stronger." Victorique stared at him for a moment, before opening the trunk on the newly arrived carriage, Kujo could be seen in the distance, running without baggage. "So you've finally made it, Reaper?" Victorique stared at Kujo, disconcerting him easily. Victorique glared at him and sat down in the backseat of the carriage, her puffy dress making a 'poof' sound as she did so. Shi stared at the dress, before sitting down himself, with Kujo in the front seat.

"I can't wait to ride the train! Victorique, have you ever ridden one?" Victorique shyly shook her head no and looked out the window. "Good, because I know this thing we can do… but you'll have to wait and see." Shi giggled and stretched his face into a mischievous grin, his idea of fun much more daring than Kujo would ever hope to do.

"So… how do you think the yacht ride will be?" Kujo asked, still suspiciously eying the grin on Shi's face. Shi smiled happily, "I just want to swim in the ocean!" He said excitedly, taking a breath before asking, "Did you all bring your suits?" Victorique flushed crimson, but nodded, thinking about the one piece she brought because of Shi's suggestion, even if she couldn't swim. Kujo flushed red as well, but for different reasons; one: He forgot a swimsuit. Two: He forgot any spare clothing in general.

"Kujo, where's your suitcase?" Shi asked, smiling knowingly. Victorique stared at Kujo like he was an idiot, which she thought he was. The oriental boy flushed as deep as his skin tone would let him, "I forgot it…." Shi burst out into laugher, falling over on the small carriage seat into Victorique's lap. Victorique let out a few giggles at Kujo's expense, before looking down at Shi's tanned face. He grinned up at her, before bursting into another fit of laughter for no apparent reason. Victorique smiled softly, and put her hand on his eyes, looking out the window.

Kujo was in for a loop. Victorique seemed to hate everyone, even teachers, everyone except this Native American boy seemed to have done something unforgivable to her, but that wasn't the case… he sighed frustrated with his thought process, but continued to try to understand their relationship better. But what he couldn't understand is; how did he wiggle his way into her heart in so little time? Kujo made a thoughtful noise, turning away from the two, out the window contemplating the mystery at hand.

Victorique was doing the same thing, thinking about the young man in her lap. Why did she like him? Why did he like her? It was all very confusing for someone who knew almost everything. Grevil always said, 'No one would ever love a Gray Wolf.' but, then why did Shi care about her so much? She groaned, irritated by her own confusion, and rested her hair on the remainder of the seat, swiftly falling asleep.

Shi woke up to the halt of the carriage, rolling onto the ground. "What the hell!? This carriage driver is an idiot!" Shi grumbled under his breath, irritated at being awoken, then he looked outside, and his mood brightened considerably.

"Woo, a train!" Kujo sweat dropped at the supposedly ferocious Apache Tiger's reaction to a train and went to get the luggage from the back of the carriage, while Shi woke the sleeping Fairy.

Shi poked Victorique's cheek in a perfect rhythm. 'Poke, poke, poke.' over and over, still waiting for Victorique to wake up. '_If I tell her she won't get macarons, she'll come up in a second!' _Shi's devious grin sped across his face, his canines sitting on his lower lip.

"Victorique! If you don't wake up I won't buy you macarons, OR any more candy, ever!" Victorique's eyes shot open and she latched onto Shi's face in terror, "Noooo, not the candy!" She wailed like a child not getting a toy at the store, making Shi laugh and carry her out of the coach, Victorique still being latched on his face like a pesky barnacle.

"Ok, ok Victorique! I won't stop buying you candy!" Victorique loosened her grip on his face, sliding into his arms. Shi let out a sigh of relief. _'Her grip is damningly tight. My face hurts now.'_ He softly rubbed the fingermarks on his face, wincing. Victorique gave him an unapologetic look before getting down from his arms with a stumbling jump. Victorique looked around embarrassedly before schooling her face into her typical mask, no facial expressions, and emotionless eyes, just a blank or often irritated stare. Shi sighed, hating when she used that expression, before he went to the back of the carriage to help with the trunks.

They were all sitting quietly in the compartment on the train, waiting for the ticket checker to come. Shi was giddy with anticipation, Kujo was weary of what Shi was thinking, and Victorique was staring at the landscape like she'd never see it again. The man came shortly after stamping their tickets and leaving. Shi started giggling happily.

"Victorique!" Shi half-yelled, startling Victorique, who turned and glared at him. "It's time for the surprise! Kujo, you want to come too?" Kujo shook his head and the Apache shrugged. "Oh well, more fun for us." Shi said, picking up Victorique like a sack of potatoes and walking out of the compartment. The tsundeloli made an offended noise, pounding on Shi's lower back. He laughed devilishly before walking out of the train car and climbing up to the roof of the train. "This is better than sitting inside isn't it?" Shi yelled over the wind. Victorique looked around her in awe, everything amazing her, the sights, the smells, even the wind. She giggled before falling into a fit of laughter, Shi having to catch her to stop her from falling of the roof. He put himself in a more stable stance before lifting Victorique onto his shoulders, her ponytailed hair flailing in the wind, Shi's own long hair flapping in it as well.

"This is amazing!" Victorique laughed into the open air, dress ruffling in the speeding winds. Shi dropped into a sitting position, Victorique falling into his lap. She nuzzled his chest, pressing him backwards. Shi complied, albeit cautiously. They _were_ on a moving train. Victorique sighed peacefully and nuzzled Shi's chest, Shi wrapping a hand around her back, and stretching an arm outwards for stability. This is how they were found in their destination's train station.

Shi awoke to the loud sound of a crowd, chatting and yelling about something. He shrugged it off and continued to lie down on the hard surface he was on. _'Wait. Hard surface? What's on my chest?'_ Thoughts cascaded through Shi's panicking mind, waking him up immediately.

"Hey! You two, get up!" Kujo's voice called from below, relaxing Shi. Shi sat up, the small girl latched onto his chest, and jumped down from the train, barely jarring Victorique. Shi looked nervously at the 'awwing' crowd, embarrassed at the compromising position he and Victorique ended up in. Victorique stirred on his chest, her eyes looking around, before shutting with a gasp and burying themselves into his white shirt, again. Kujo laughed good-naturedly, helping the preoccupied Shi get the baggage out of the station.

"Come on now, Victorique! It wasn't that bad!" Kujo said, trying to get Victorique's spirits up, but sadly failing. Shi turned her, wrapping her legs around his waist and supporting her with the other hand, he grabbed one of her cheeks and pulled gently. Victorique stared at him, still flushed, as if she was imitating a tomato.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice small yet curious. Shi smiled down at her, "Don't be so down. They were just strangers, they'll never see you again, and if any one makes fun of you…" Shi pulled out a Tomahawk, spinning it before holstering it. Victorique smiled weakly, lying her head on his chest, "You shouldn't be so violent, Shi." Shi grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, I don't like people messing with my loved ones you know?" Shi asked, rubbing the back of his head. Victorique nodded and went silent. Shi grabbed a handle on one of the trunks, rolling it towards what residents said was the dock. Out of the corner of Kujo's eye, he saw the other boy drop the suitcase, and run over to an ice-cream stand.

"He pampers that girl, I'll tell you." He mumbled to himself, more than to anyone else. Shi came back, somehow balancing a cone on a finger while one was in his hand. "Here you go Kujo!" Shi moved the balanced vanilla cone over to Kujo, eating his own vanilla cone while Victorique ate chocolate.  
"Thank you, Shi." Shi smiled, his large canines showing themselves. "No problem! Let's get going, eh?" Kujo nodded, taking the lead while Shi followed, with extra baggage, that baggage being the ever-peaceful-in-the-presence-of-sweets Victorique.

They quickly arrived at the dock, the yacht sitting calmly on the Mediterranean, with Grevil in a ridiculous sailor outfit, standing on the deck.

"Ahoy there, matey!" Grevil yelled from the yacht, a good yard away. Victorique glared at him, having gotten down from Shi's arms, holding his fingers. Kujo stared at the psychotic man, waiting for someone to wrap the man in a straitjacket. "That… that outfit!" Shi exclaimed, having no other words to say.

"It's perfect, isn't it?" Grevil asked, rhetorically, not knowing he looked like a moron. "The theme is 'man of the sea'." Grevil explained, leaning on the yacht's railing. "Oh yes! Remember that murder?" The group nodded simultaneously, "Well, the first shot, was fired into a mirror." Shi and Kujo stared at the man incredulously, "A mirror?" They asked, eyebrows rising.

"I see, a magic mirror, hm?" Victorique 'hmmed' as Grevil went on to talk about the maid's beauty. "Ahem! Regarding the motive, the maid babbled something nonsensical, saying 'The box's revenge'." Victorique pulled out her pipe and stuck it in her mouth. "Box's revenge?" Shi stared at her oddly, resolving to question her later.

"INSPECTOR!" A voice yelled from the streets, "Inspector! Something awful has happened! The Arabian maid escaped!" A policeman was the offender of the noise, panicking like a common fool. Shi grunted, not looking up from the sea.

"Excuse me, Tiger cub, baby squirrel! I've got to go! You can climb aboard the yacht, but do not take it out!" Grevil yelled at them, running away. Shi glanced at Victorique, and they nodded, boarding the yacht, while Kujo complained about boredom. Fairy and Tiger were currently searching the yacht's interior, before Victorique made a soft noise of approval, before standing up. The clueless boy looked inside the yacht.

"There you are!" He exclaimed happily, making him seem much more like his nickname. Shi took the letter from Victorique's fingers. "We're having dinner on a Luxury Liner, via an invitation to Roxane. Miniature Garden Box Evening." The Tiger's feline eyes narrowed at the final sentence; "the main course is hare."

"Put our luggage besides the food in the yacht, as this seems suspicious." Victorique grunted in approval. Kujo's eyes widened before he put the luggage below-deck. Shi lifted Victorique out of the yacht, a certain Asian boy hot on his heels, and they headed towards the Luxury Liner.

The trio walked up to the man on the pier, showing him the envelope, before briskly walking past him, up the long ramp into the '_Queen Berry'_. '_That name seems familiar, somehow…_' Shi shrugged off the thought, for they had a mystery to solve. "Let's check this out, everyone with me?" He received a determined nod from Kujo, and a proud smile from Victorique.

"Spoken like a true warrior."

End of chapter one. I would enjoy CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. No flames please.

The song I was thinking of is Cirno's theme.


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